It’s the most wonderful time of year. The holiday season is upon us, and no matter what festivity you participate in, there is a good chance that you might once again watch the timeless Dr. Seuss classic, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. It is not just a fun Christmas story that has stolen our hearts since 1957; it is a story packed with life and business lessons that we can apply to our lives.
What makes this story so poignant is not just the antagonist (The Grinch) trying to ruin the hopes and joys of the protagonists (the Whos) but the transformation of good over evil, positivity over negativity, and the realization that it is the collection of small things you do in pursuit of a bigger goal. Here are five business lessons we can steal from the Grinch:
1. Creating goals and formulating a plan
The prickly and cranky Grinch lives in a cave on a mountain that looks down upon the town of Whoville, where the cheerful and fun-loving Whos live. Every Christmas, the Whos celebrate with songs, toys, and festivities. This Christmas Eve, the Grinch has finally had enough and decides that he is going to stop Christmas from coming. The Grinch has created a goal.
He then plans to disguise himself as Santa Claus, travel down the mountain to town, and steal the presents, food, and Christmas trees from each house in Whoville. The Grinch set a goal for himself, formulated a plan, and executed it. The same strategy applies to individuals in the business world. Setting goals and creating plans provides a direction and a map of how to work toward the end result.
2. Thinking while under pressure
While the Grinch is in one house, a young Who, Cindy Lou, interrupts him in the act cramming the Christmas tree up the chimney. The Grinch is forced to think on his feet and out of the box to escape the situation. Despite being caught red-handed, a moment that would leave some people frozen and tongue-tied, the wily Grinch is able to think on his feet, replying to the young Who that a bulb on the tree is broken.
He is taking the tree to fix the bulb, and then he will “return it right here.” In this case, the Grinch wasn’t being honest, but he could pursue his goal by thinking on his feet under pressure. In business, you have to be able to think on your feet and often under pressure. Just make sure to always be honest!
3. Attention to detail
The Grinch’s attention to detail in the story is quite remarkable. He takes literally everything representing Christmas for the Whos, going so far as to take a crumb off the floor. Attention to detail is a skill that helps with time management, accurate reporting, the management of workloads and day-to-day responsibilities, and other important aspects of business.
4. Don’t get tunnel vision
The Grinch had a big goal and a heart three times too small. He would steal Christmas this year so the Whos couldn’t enjoy the holiday. He formulated a plan and carried out a tremendous feat by sneaking into Whoville in the middle of the night and stealing all the presents, stockings, food, and toys from every house and took all the goodies on his sleigh to the top of Mount Crumpit to be thrown into the abyss. When the Whos woke up, they would find out that Christmas was gone.
The Grinch expected them to be as miserable as he was, but instead of crying over material things, they joined hands and sang joyful songs. In a remarkable transformation, the Grinch, hearing the Whos singing, realized that there was more to Christmas than what he stole, and his heart grew three times bigger.
Instead of being stuck in his tunnel vision of damage and destruction, he returned to Whoville and gave the Whos back their property. The Grinch changed from having a small cold heart to a large warm one. This significant moment of learning and growth shows us that we should never get too hung up on any one idea. Be willing to observe and evolve with the changing world around you.
The lessons we learn in business and out in the world that can be applied to business may influence our financial decision-making. We often think we are knowledgeable when it comes to our financial goals and what we need to do to align our actions to reach these goals. However, the business world is complex, regularly changing, and there are so many moving parts moving simultaneously. Getting the help from a financial professional can be very beneficial when it comes to making decisions that affect your business or financial strategy. Although he’s a mean one, even the Grinch would agree.
Important Disclosures:
The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.
All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, LPL Financial makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy.
Sources:
9 How The Grinch Stole Christmas Part 1 Low mpeg2video – YouTube
This article was prepared by LPL Marketing Solutions
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